With mock draft season underway, Patriots already projected to pick a quarterback
New England is currently slated to get the No. 2 pick, but the draft order could still change substantially before the end of the regular season.
The mock drafts have begun: With the Patriots currently in line to get the No. 2 overall pick in the 2024 NFL Draft, fans and analysts are already looking ahead to which top level talent New England might select.
While it’s still very early in the process — the Patriots have four remaining games that could have a major effect on the draft order — ESPN draft analyst Matt Miller took a swing at what the first round could look like in his most recent mock draft.
Released on Wednesday, it has the Patriots picking University of North Carolina quarterback Drake Maye second overall (after the Bears picked USC quarterback Caleb Williams first).
Miller sees New England moving on from Mac Jones given that the former first-round pick has been repeatedly benched during the 2023 season.
Maye, who has already declared for the draft, has thrown for 3,608 yards with 24 touchdowns and nine interceptions this season.
“Maye is a powerful thrower at 6-foot-4 and 230 pounds, with the arm talent to stretch the field vertically and the mobility to threaten on the ground,” wrote Miller. “There are times his ball placement can be inconsistent, but his supporting cast at North Carolina did him few favors there. Maye — who is declaring for the draft — has the traits of a true franchise quarterback.”
Trivia: Who is the most recent quarterback the Patriots drafted out of an ACC school?
(Answer at the bottom).
Hint: Drafted as a third-round pick, he was eventually traded to the Colts for Phillip Dorsett.
Scores and schedules:
The Bruins lost to the Devils 2-1 in overtime on Wednesday. Boston will face the Islanders in New York on Friday at 7:30 p.m.
The Celtics host the Cavaliers tonight at 7:30 p.m., and will also play again on Friday (at home vs. the Magic).
This Sunday, the Patriots kickoff against the Chiefs at Gillette Stadium at 1 p.m.
More from Boston.com:
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- Bruins place former 2015 first-round pick on waivers
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- Former NFL QB: Bill Belichick is still ‘a coach you can win a Super Bowl with’
- Tell us: Would you like to see Bill Belichick back with the Patriots next season?
- Patriots injuries: Rhamondre Stevenson missing from practice, Demario Douglas returns
- Red Sox reportedly sign Gold-Glove catcher to minor-league deal
- Warriors star Draymond Green suspended indefinitely by NBA
- Will Ezekiel Elliott re-sign with the Patriots? The veteran RB lists a few reasons why he’s open to it
- Malik Cunningham never threw a regular-season pass for the Patriots, and that’s a shame
Bruins postgame: Some soundbites from Jim Montgomery and Morgan Geekie after the Bruins’ loss on Wednesday.
A U.S. upset: American skier Bryce Bennett — standing 6-foot-7-inches tall — stunned European favorites to win the World Cup downhill event at Val Gardena in Italy on Thursday. He won in dramatic fashion, emerging with a margin of victory of just three hundredths of a second over Norway’s Aleksander Aamodt Kilde.
On this day: In 1995, Adam Oates scored four goals in a 6-4 win over the Panthers. Having also assisted Cam Neely’s opener, Oates finished his remarkable day with five points.
Daily highlight: What a goal-line clearance from Dortmund defender Niklas Süle in a 1-1 draw against PSG in the UEFA Champions League on Wednesday.
Trivia answer: Jacoby Brissett
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